This week on our Home Life Series, we’re escaping across the water to the sun-drenched shores of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), where photographer, stylist and author Kara Rosenlund has created a nostalgic A-frame retreat that perfectly captures the spirit of the Australian summer.
Best known for her fine art photography and bestselling interiors books Shelter and Weekends, Kara has spent over two decades documenting the beauty of Australian life from rugged coastlines to humble homesteads — with her signature sentimental eye. Her island home, shared with her husband and two young children, feels like a natural extension of her work. Keep reading to step inside her nostalgic island weekender, a serene slice of Straddie paradise.
Hi Kara, we’re so excited to be here on Stradbroke Island. For those who may not be familiar with your work, can you introduce yourself and share a little about your creative journey?
Hi! I’m Kara, I’m a well known Australian photographer with a fine art print shop and a sentimental eye. I have been a photographer for over 20 years and making limited edition print collections for 10 years from my Brisbane studio and gallery. My young family and I have an A frame weekender on North Stradbroke Island which we also holiday let.
Shop Kara's Curated Collection
How did you first discover your 1970s home on Minjerribah, and what drew you to this slice of heaven nestled away from the hustle and bustle of mainland QLD?
I had just finished photographing my first interiors book Shelter which took me around Australia seeking out original and iconic Australian homes and interiors which spoke to the landscape they sat within. So I was looking for my own slice of that connection and it came by the way of North Stradbroke Island, just off Brisbane in Queensland.
Shop Kara's Curated Collection
Have you made any personal touches or renovations, and how have you balanced maintaining its nostalgic charm with modern living?
Yes, we have made several changes, but we have always kept the spirit of the house alive. When I’m looking for materials to use in our renovations I simply walk around the house and replicate the materials of what was used originally. That way what’s new and old is seamless.
The colour directions are also from the natural world of the island, the kitchen stone colour palette was inspired by the shells that wash ashore on our local beach, there are lots of layers of natural sisal, grasscloth wallpaper, bamboo blinds and rattan lamps. Lots of natural elements which speak to the landscape.
Shop Kara's Curated Collection
From photography and styling to your interiors books, Shelter, your work captures both the raw, authentic interiors of a year-long journey around Australia and the intimate life of your own homes. How do your island retreat and Brisbane studio inspire your work, and how does that compare to the spaces and stories you discovered on the road?
I see my Brisbane studio as the place where I get the work done. Where I can bring all the inspiration and photographs from my time in nature, either on the island or on the road and turn that vision into my print collections. To make it real and release it from imagination. It’s like yin and yang, they can’t exist without each other. I need the studio to make the beauty I absorb from nature come to life for my audience. Your work often celebrates the quintessential spirit of summer in Australia.
Shop Kara's Curated Collection
How do you bring that sense of warmth, light, and ease into your own home and everyday life?
Simply by letting the natural light and fresh air into your home. It can be that simple. Open your windows, raise your blinds and pull back your curtains. Light changes everything when you appreciate it.
Shop Kara's Curated Collection
As a highly regarded female photographer in a competitive industry, what have been some standout moments in your career, and are there particular challenges or triumphs that have shaped your journey?
The best way for me to thrive or for anyone to thrive is simply by just doing the work. There are no shortcuts. You just have to do the work and trust your instincts. And honestly each day is a triumph in my career, to be doing what I love and having collectors all over the world collecting my photographic prints, it means so much to me and I don’t take that success lightly.
Shop Kara's Curated Collection
You’re lucky enough to call Stradbroke home! What’s a typical summer’s day on the island look like for you?
The perfect day for me would be an early morning swim first thing, back to the house for breakfast with the music up, another swim then lunch.
Shop Kara's Curated Collection
When friends visit the island, how do you love to host? Any signature dishes, table settings, or local traditions you never skip?
Always prawn sandwiches with local straddie prawns on the front deck with the umbrellas up and a great playlist up loud. Life is good!
